Leading F1 correspondent provides key update on Ferrari driver futures

F1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto believes Ferrari will tie down both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to new contracts with the Scuderia.

The current Ferrari duo both have contracts until the end of the F1 2024 season, but that isn’t stopping either driver from being fed into the F1 rumour mill.

Leclerc has been linked to Mercedes in a potential swap deal with Lewis Hamilton, while Carlos Sainz has been linked with a whole host of names, including Alpine and Audi F1, in recent months.

The current state of play at Ferrari

But, both drivers have made it clear that they are not looking to move away from Ferrari, despite the fact that the chances of World Championship glory remain slim.

And, it appears, Ferrari are wanting to keep both of their current recruits and continue to build their future around them.

‘Sources say Ferrari have already opened talks with Leclerc and are keen to lock him down with a new multi-year contract,’ Barretto said in a driver move column for F1.com.

‘The Italian team are also believed to be keen to retain Sainz, though it is likely they will sort Leclerc’s contract first before getting the Spaniard’s deal finalised.

‘Sainz is in a good position though. The 28-year-old is believed to be highly-rated among Ferrari’s engineers and has proved he can deliver consistency – he’s scored points in all but two races this season.

‘And sources say he’s had a flurry of interest – both formal and informal – from multiple rival teams for his services in 2025.’

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How long could it be before Ferrari announce their future driver plans?

Well, with both drivers not out of contract until the end of next season, there is no immediate rush for Ferrari to announce their plans for F1 2025 and beyond.

On the flip side, the Scuderia won’t want to leave it too late or else other teams will continue to circle around both drivers as they  head closer to the final year of their contracts. Ferrari can put all the reports and rumours to bed very quickly.

But, the biggest priority at Ferrari is not the driver futures…it’s the car. The Prancing Horse has an awful lot of work to do if they are to get on the same level as the likes of Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin – never mind Red Bull.

If clear improvements can be seen with this year’s car and its successor, that will make eventual negotiations with both Leclerc and Sainz a whole lot easier.

If they fail with that No.1 objective, you couldn’t blame either driver from looking at their F1 career options.

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